Marked For Death: A Dark Urban Fantasy Novel by Becca Blake (english novels to improve english .txt) 📕

him open. The hound cut off the man’s cries with a stream of flames, burning his face and throat down to the bone.

As I looked on, all I could see was the body I believed was Ayla’s back in Omaha. I’d seen horrors before, but the sight and smell of charred flesh had haunted my nightmares since. I stumbled back and pressed myself against the blackened wall.

Jacob took my arm and pulled me away. “Time to go.”

Even if I wanted to argue with him, words failed me. As we ran, I tried to summon more invisibility, but fear that I couldn’t shake had taken hold of me. Jacob guided me around a nearby hellhound as it mauled a body that was already so torn to shreds it was unrecognizable.

My sheathed sword tapped against my thigh as we ran. The blade called to me, thrumming with desire to join the fight, but there were far too many of the demonic creatures to even try.

So, we ran.

The sickening cries of both the hellhounds and their victims filled the Courtyard, and the air was thick with smoke from the flames and burning flesh.

We slipped into an alley off of Market Street and ducked behind the training center to catch our breath. The attack broke out so fast that no one had been ready for it. I didn’t even want to think about how many dead and dying hunters we ran past.

“Are you okay?” Jacob asked.

“I’m fine,” I said, hoping that saying it would make it true. We could get out of Haygrove alive. I just had to pull myself together; I couldn’t afford to let fear take over.

Jacob drew his sword and peeked around the corner. “It’s a long way to your place from here.”

“We’ll make it. We can cut through the back streets.”

He nodded. “Lead the way.”

We rushed out of the alleyway and ducked into the next street over to find a group of hounds racing down the sidewalk across the street. In the time it had taken us to gather our composure behind the training center, the demonic creatures had brought their destruction to Market Street. All around us, hunters fought them off, but their numbers seemed endless.

I pulled Jacob into the closest building, and we crouched low to the ground. We had to get away from the center of town. Glass crunched beneath my boots as we ducked under the shattered window. The shopkeeper, Ted Richmond, huddled behind the counter, holding a shotgun in his shaking hands.

If the shells weren’t enchanted, it wouldn’t help him against the hellhounds. And even if they were, it likely wouldn’t matter. He worked at the shop because he was a civilian, not a hunter, and I doubted he’d ever been trained in combat.

His eyes met mine, searching for answers I didn’t have time to give him.

A hellhound outside let out a howl, and a chorus of them followed in response.

Ted fired a panicked shot, blowing a hole in the wall next to the doorway. The shotgun kicked his shoulder back hard enough that he dropped it, and it slid beneath the counter. As he scrambled for his gun, one of the hounds bounded in through the doorway, searching for the source of the gunfire. It sniffed the air, then leaped in Ted’s direction. Its muscular legs splintered the wooden counter, and it let loose a stream from its mouth that set the counter alight.

Ted crawled out from the wreckage, clutching the shotgun to his chest as he tried desperately to reload it.

I moved to help him, but Jacob grabbed my arm and pointed to the back door at the other end of the shop.

We had to keep moving, but I couldn’t just abandon an innocent resident like this.

I pulled away from Jacob and dove for the hellhound, sending out a ward to protect Ted from the burst of flame.

“Run!” I shouted, pointing at the back door.

Ted dropped the shotgun and scrambled away.

The hellhound turned its glowing red eyes on me, and I took a few steps back, readying my sword. As it leaped for me, I ducked down and plunged my sword upward.

The strike I aimed for its belly missed, and the force of its hind legs knocked me over. I tried to push myself out from underneath it, but it pinned me down with a massive paw.

I heard Jacob before I saw him as he drove his sword through the beast’s leg. Its claws slashed across my shoulder as it spun around again, this time to face Jacob.

The pain seared through my chest and spread out into every part of my body. I gritted my teeth and forced myself upright as Jacob slashed the beast across its neck. It slumped to the floor at his feet.

“Guess we’re even again,” he said, grinning, though his smile faded as soon as he looked over at me. He rushed over and crouched by my side.

I bent my neck, trying to get a look at the claw mark that now marred my chest beneath my shredded shirt. Any higher, and it would have torn right through my neck.

“I’m okay,” I wheezed.

Jacob fumbled in his bag and pulled out a jar of healing herbs. “Here, let me—”

I interrupted him by putting my hand over his. “Don’t waste them. This is an infernal wound.”

He frowned. “But—”

“I’ll deal. We need to keep moving.”

I got to my feet and headed for the back door, which Ted left wide open. We emerged on the other side of the building, only to find the next street over swarming with more hellhounds.

The wound on my chest burned, giving me a constant reminder that we couldn’t afford to stop and fight again.

As we raced down the street, I caught sight of Ted. He tripped on the curb, and a nearby hellhound pounced on him. I winced as it tore his chest to shreds.

I couldn’t help him… or any of the other people who cried out for help all around us. Most of them were